Delaware Third Track Project Starts

[morris&essex4ever]

At last:http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/pas ... IITMYZtQlg

Delaware state and federal representatives, the Delaware Department of Transportation, and Amtrak on Thursday marked the ceremonial start of adding a 1.5-mile third track on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor just south of Wilmington.

The $53 million project, to be completed by 2015, will increase passenger rail capacity between Ragan and Brandy interlockings, currently a choke point in NEC operations. Amtrak and SEPTA operate over the stretch, as does some local freight traffic.

"Were focused up and down the Northeast Corridor trying to solve these bottle necks that keep us from running as many trains as we could and meeting the demand for additional commuter service and additional passenger rail," said Steven Gardener, vice president of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Investment Development. "So every one we knock off is a small victory for us and building toward a higher capacity railroad that we think the region is going to need."

Anyone know if the work will take place mostly at overnight hours when there's not much traffic?

[ThirdRail7]

Not to bust your bubble, but this project started July 28th. They works some nights and weekends. Schedule time was added to all southbound Acelas and most regionals. The only reason why I guess they're mentioning it now is because they are supposed to mess with a culvert in the area.

[R36 Combine Coach]

So that's why a new WAS-NYP (W2) timetable was issued July 23, with modified running times.

[Jersey_Mike]

It's going to take 3 years to build 3 miles worth of track? o.0 Who'd they hire, the Big Dig folks?

[afiggatt]

It's going to take 3 years to build 3 miles worth of track? o.0 Who'd they hire, the Big Dig folks?

There is a bridge replacement and bridge rebuilds in the project as well. Given the price tag, probably relocation of other infrastructure to make room for the 3rd track.

[25Hz]

No pressurized pipelines can be located within a certain distance & depth of rail tracks. Cable vaults also can't be too close for risk of subsidence. Then there are any overhead lines that might need to get a new pole farther back etc etc etc.

Building anything anymore costs a fortune and takes forever.

[ThirdRail7]

No pressurized pipelines can be located within a certain distance & depth of rail tracks. Cable vaults also can't be too close for risk of subsidence. Then there are any overhead lines that might need to get a new pole farther back etc etc etc.

Building anything anymore costs a fortune and takes forever.

Plus, you'll have to reconfigure Ragan, Yard and possibly Brandy, depending on what they want to accomplish, which means new signals and perhaps new signal bridges. The new track will need to be wired as well, which means new wire, insulators, circuit breakers etc. I would also be surprised if you didn't have to move a few cat poles between Ragan and Yard. That means you'll have to deal with the utility presence on the cat poles as well.

They are trying to do this while maintaining the current levels of traffic in the area.

For those of you that want to follow along with the conversation and don't know the area, start at minute 8 of this video:

Amtrak's Northeast Corridor Cab Ride - PART 6

It's older, but will get the point across. The first signal bridge after minute 8 is Ragan's. The next signal bridge and interlocking is Yard. Yard has been reconfigured since this video was made. When this was made, 2 to 2 (the track the train is on) was the straight move. 2 to 2 is now the diverging move and 2 to 1 is the straight move. The video ends at Brandy's home signal.

Everything in this area is impacted.

[x-press]

Three years to build isn't SO outrageous when you consider the different components of the job.

As to why it took 8+ years for Amtrak and the state of Delaware to design and reach agreement on it, that's harder to understand.

[25Hz]

I would guess the utility would relocate to new poles first, the catenary could wait a lot longer. As an electrical guy it sounds to me like de-energizing the utility lines will be needed at the time of the move. If they have weather on their side and no snags (literally or figuratively) they should only take a few hours to do each pole.

At jenkintown they are building a new bridge over the 2 track main. Part of the project involved installing section break switches on the catenary, along with the isolation insulators etc. I can toss photo up in a minute. I'm guessing here they would need to do that as well, so they could work locally on active tracks without shutting down power to miles and miles of the wires.

[25Hz]

Looks like i deleted those photos accidentally... I had a whole series featuring the new section breaks and the 2 new cat towers. Previously the lines were hung off the bridge.

In any case, if the lines there are old enough and have any issues they might just string up new lines all together, both the support lattice and the catenary itself. The other option is simply joint it and put in an extension. I guess we'll see? Is it specified in the project documentation?

[twropr]

Is the third track going to be on the west or east side of the existing tracks? How will Ragan be reconfigrured?

Andy

[Jersey_Mike]

Here is video I took of the line two years ago when the project was announced.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj6FpgHZXF4

YARD interlocking is going to be eliminated and REGAN will have all three tracks run through it. If you look at the right of way they'll need to shift track 3 over so that track #1 can run through. REGAN will need a minimum of one extra crossover and one turnout.

BTW, how long did the NAN bridge replacement take?

[ThirdRail7]

I recently passed through this area and things basically looked the same as it did last summer. I'm aware it is possible they are performing work that may not be visible to the naked eye. I'm just wondering how the project is progressing.

[ApproachMedium]

From what I have seen when i get to travel south of philly they were doing work during the daylight hours back in March, later on in april when I passed thru during the day I did not see any action. It doesnt seem to be they are doing any track work etc its only on the culvert that needs to be expanded and errected for the 3rd track to sit on.

[Toaster718]

I recently passed through this area and things basically looked the same as it did last summer. I'm aware it is possible they are performing work that may not be visible to the naked eye. I'm just wondering how the project is progressing.

Same here but every time I pass through MOW is always out there btw Yard and Ragan. Seems like the projected is holding at restricted speed.